Method and apparatus to search for, find, collect and confirm the presence of ptentially dangerous airborne particles such as COVID-19 VIRUS

Abstract

A light scattering method and apparatus are disclosed whereby the presence of the COVID-19 virus in a designated volume of ambient air may be confirmed within a few hours from the analysis of its contents. By such means, the near real-time presence of viral constituents within airborne regions of meetings, gatherings, presentations, and even the ICUs of hospitals themselves, may be confirmed and often quantified. The present invention provides such means to find, separate, and identify specifically such fractions: an important early warning of their presence and the current dangers they pose. The same methods described may be applied also for the detection of airborne bacteria.

1 . A method to search for airborne virus particles comprising
 a. transferring all particles in a defined volume of air into a small volume of liquid;   b. injecting said small volume of liquid into an asymmetric-flow field flow fractionator whereby the particle contents of said volume of air are fractionated by size as they flow through the asymmetric flow field flow fractionator;   c. flowing said size-fractionated sample through a laser beam after leaving the asymmetric flow field flow fractionator;   d. measuring scattered light intensities for the size-fractionated sample passing there through at each different angular element of a surrounding array of scattered light detectors;   e. deriving a size of each element of the size fractionated sample from an angular variation of light scattered therefrom; and   f. confirming a virus source of each size fractionated sample whose size corresponds to the size associated with said virus particles and/or the said virus particle aggregates.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  where said virus particles are of the COVID-19 genus. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  where said virus particles are of common flu origin. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  where said virus particles are of swine flu genus. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  where said liquid is water. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  where said water is buffered. 
     
     
         7 . A method to search for airborne bacteria comprising
 a. transferring all particles in a defined volume of air into a small volume of liquid;   b. injecting said small volume of liquid into an asymmetric-flow field flow fractionator whereby the particle contents of said volume of air are fractionated by size as they flow through the asymmetric flow field flow fractionator;   c. flowing said size-fractionated sample through a laser beam after leaving the asymmetric flow field flow fractionator;   d. measuring scattered light intensities for each fractionated sample passing there through at each different angular element of a surrounding array of scattered light detectors;   e. associating the scattered light intensities measured as originating from bacteria   f. deriving a size and structure of each fractionated sample element from angular variation of light scattered therefrom; and   g. confirming an airborne bacterial source of each thus-sized eluting sample fragments whose size and structure corresponds to those associated with said bacterial particles and/or their aggregates sought.